As the Padres are auditioning prospects this month with mixed results, two words come to mind: Pablo Sandoval.

How do you get one of those?

The 22-year-old Venezuelan beat the Padres three ways Sunday, and it wasn't even one of his better games.

Starting at catcher after starting at third base and first base in the first three games of the series, the Giants rookie threw out two would-be base stealers, blocked the plate against the potential winning run in the eighth inning, then scored the winning run in the 10th on a wild pitch after doubling.

“He's in his happy zone and his happy zone appears to be everything right now,” Padres manager Bud Black said.

And that was before Sandoval's feats in the 8-6 San Francisco victory before 25,476 at Petco Park that capped a 3-1 Giants series victory and a 13-5 rout of the Padres in the season series.

Going into the season, the Giants penciled out as the worst team in the NL West.

Now they are in third place while the Padres are one loss from clinching last.

And the Giants have celebrated two more major league debuts this season than the Padres.

Yes, the Padres have cameoed some promising young players – notably Will Venable, Chase Headley, Nick Hundley and Josh Geer.

But is there anyone quite like Sandoval, who started the season in the Single-A California League and is hitting .330 over his first 106 at-bats in the National League?

“There's no 'Moneyball'-take-pitches with that guy,” pitcher Chris Young said. “He's up there to make things happen.”

The Padres apparently have become a personal launching pad for Sandoval (11-for-30), who played a role in three straight San Francisco wins at Petco Park. As it turns out, Sandoval has been as ill as he's been making the Padres.

Friday, he homered to right-center, then commented on how he likes Petco because “the ball can fly here.”

Saturday, he had two hits and started two first-to-short-to-first double plays.

Yesterday, Sandoval simply beat the Padres three ways. Although he was only 1-for-5, that hit led to the decisive run.

Even that at-bat was tinged with excitement.

Leading off the 10th against Dirk Hayhurst, Sandoval first tried to bunt for a hit up the third-base line. The ball rolled foul at the last second.

With the count 1-and-2, Hayhurst apparently threw a fastball past Sandoval for strike three. Even Sandoval leaned across the plate as though he were out. But the pitch was called a ball.

Having taken one pitch, Sandoval – who on Saturday appeared to foul off at least five pitches outside the strike zone in a dual with Young – wasn't about to let a second go past him.

On the next pitch, Sandoval hit a liner that landed between center fielder Venable and right fielder Brian Giles and legged it into a double.

Of the pitch that was called a ball, Hayhurst said, “I thought it was a great pitch, down and in” without questioning the call. Of the ensuing pitch, Hayhurst said, “It was the same pitch and I tried to go in, I just wish I could have executed it like the first.”

Sandoval moved to third on a single and raced home when Hayhurst's ball four to Aaron Rowand skipped through catcher Hundley's legs and rolled to the backstop.

The Padres had ample opportunities to win before Sandoval took over. They scored four times against Barry Zito in the second inning, drew a season-high 10 walks and had 21 baserunners.

The Padres were 5-for-12 with runners in scoring position. But on their last such opportunity, Sandoval was blocking the plate as Luis Rodriguez was racing for home with the game tied 6-6 in the eighth.

Sandoval caught the throw from left fielder Randy Winn and tagged out Rodriguez, who never reached the plate. Sandoval sealed off his path.

“There was nothing I could do,” Rodriguez said.

“I like those plays, I kind of like it when they hit me,” Sandoval said.